Blazers look ahead to an offseason of questions, starting with how to improve

View full sizeBruce Ely, The OregonianAndre Miller (celebrating after making a game-winning pass to Nicolas Batum against the San Antonio Spurs) has said he would like to return to the Blazers next season, but he will leave negotiations to his agent. His contract has a team option for next season.

The offseason officially started for the Trail Blazers on Thursday night with a playoff-series-ending home loss to Dallas.

The defeat began the five-month transition, from getting over the hurt of losing in the first round for the third consecutive season, to taking steps to make sure it does not happen again.

"That will be our goal next year, is to not be having this meeting at this particular time," Portland coach Nate McMillan said. "We will look at the team and how we need to improve the team as well as the roster."

The Blazers face several challenges in making improvements. Perhaps the most daunting is the NBA's uncertain labor situation. The collective bargaining agreement between the players union and owners -- the document that sets the parameters for all contracts and deals -- expires June 30.

If a new CBA is not signed by then, the league could lock the players out, essentially halting business. If a new CBA is signed, it could contain changes that would alter the way the Blazers could improve their roster.

The potential for an NBA lockout is one the Blazers -- with emotions still raw after Thursday's loss -- had a hard time coming to grips with Friday as they held meetings, exit interviews and met with reporters.

"I can't really think about it yet," forward LaMarcus Aldridge said. "I'll think about it after all this is done."

Marcus Camby, the team's union representative, was playing for the Knicks during the last work stoppage in 1998-99, when the season was trimmed to 50 games. At 37, Camby does not want to lose precious games off his career.

McMillan had even less say about the CBA negotiations, but with good reason. The league has barred team officials from commenting on the situation, and penalties for doing so have been stiff. Lakers coach Phil Jackson, for example, reportedly incurred a $75,000 fine for comments he made about the potential impact of a lockout.

"I can't comment on it at all," McMillan said Friday.

The Blazers' offices will be closed Monday as the franchise takes a long weekend to recover from the intense finish to the season. On Tuesday, team officials go back to work, highlighted by general manager Rich Cho's end-of-season news conference.

As he spoke to reporters Friday, McMillan was cautious in speaking about his roster's future. Although he did say, "I know where I would like to improve," he said he needed to meet with Cho before getting specific.

It's no great secret, however, that the Blazers were short-handed on the front line, where injuries and trades left McMillan with Aldridge and Camby as his only proven inside players.

"I think just depth at the center spot will definitely help us going forward," guard Brandon Roy said. "Just that bulk -- you need that."

Center was supposed to be an embarrassment of riches for Portland, with Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla joining Camby. But Oden missed the entire season with another knee surgery, and Przybilla struggled to regain his athleticism after coming back from two knee surgeries. The Blazers also lost Jeff Pendergraph during the preseason to season-ending knee surgery.

McMillan not only had to play Aldridge as his backup center to Camby, but he also had to use Wallace, his starting small forward, as his backup power forward. McMillan called his roster "not really a traditional lineup."

Can Cho find help for Aldridge and Camby? This summer's free agent class is not considered particularly strong, but there are some front-line players who could be available, such as Dallas' Tyson Chandler and Sacramento's Samuel Dalembert, both whom will become unrestricted free agents. Denver's Nene and New Orleans' David West could opt of the final years of their deals and become unrestricted free agents.

There also is Oden, the No. 1 pick of the 2007 draft who continues in his efforts to come back and finally make a sustained impact for the Blazers. Oden becomes a restricted free agent, and the Blazers have until June 30 to tender him a qualifying offer that would allow them to match any team's offer this season.

"He's a game-changer," guard Wesley Matthews said.

The Blazers' other major decision with their roster is point guard Andre Miller, whose contract has a team option for next season. Miller has said he would like to return but will leave the dealings for his agent. Likewise, McMillan said he would leave the decision on Miller to Cho.

Miller was the lone true point guard that McMillan used in the Dallas series. The Blazers used Roy, Matthews and Rudy Fernandez extensively, but all are shooting guards, requiring one of them -- usually Roy -- to be the second-unit's point guard.

If the Blazers retain Miller and don't believe that Patty Mills or Armon Johnson -- the team's other true point guards -- can develop enough to become reliable backups, they could look to free agency. Dallas' J.J. Barea and Toronto's Leandro Barbosa will become unrestricted free agents, and Phoenix's Aaron Brooks and Detroit's Rodney Stuckey will become restricted free agents.

Meanwhile, the Blazers' immediate concern is to prepare for the June 23 draft, which is expected to be conducted as normal. Portland has the 21st picks of the both first and second rounds.

The first disruption caused by a lockout could be to the Las Vegas summer league. Several media reports have said the league will be canceled, but league spokesman Tim Frank said Friday that no decision has been made, and the league has no definitive timetable for making it.